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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28934496">GENTLEMEN - A Scene</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellsinterlinked/pseuds/cellsinterlinked'>cellsinterlinked</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Nighthawks - Edward Hopper, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>1940s, Crimes &amp; Criminals, Domestic Violence, F/M, Film Noir, Gen, One Shot, Original Character(s), Screenplay/Script Format, Single Location, hard-boiled</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:22:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,089</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28934496</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellsinterlinked/pseuds/cellsinterlinked</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Glen's bar is a great little place to get a coffee and take a minute. But tonight, things aren't going to be so relaxed...</p>
<p>A short Film Noir scene written as a stage play, inspired by the painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>GENTLEMEN - A Scene</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Wrote this in in one sitting in 2018. As soon as I saw there was a Nighthawks fandom on AO3, I thought "why not?"</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A bar at night. Bright lights shine on dark yellow walls. <span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span> and <span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span> sit together, <span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span> smoking, <span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span>, in a lovely red evening dress, stares at her nails. <span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span>, a much older man, stands behind the triangular counter, wearing his white barman uniform with apron. Sat opposite, <span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span>, eating cream pudding. It is quiet. <span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span> fixes <span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span> with a coffee.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>(to Shelly)<br/>Does the lady want any coffee too?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>The lady is fine.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Any cookies? I got pretzels if you’d prefer.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>The lady is fine, Glen.</p>
<p>Glen looks at Shelly, she nods, he nods back and gets back to cleaning his station.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You’re all good, aren’t you, darling? She ate before, she’s good.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Thank you Glen.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>You two look real nice. Been anywhere fun tonight?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Glen, this coffee is fantastic.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Thank you.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You’re an artist.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Thank you sir.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>So stick to the coffee and don’t ask questions, you’re a barman, not a journalist.</p>
<p>Glen nods, gets back to work.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>So tired of questions, so tired of small talk.</p>
<p>Shelly doesn’t say anything. Sam finishes his pudding and puts the cup aside. Glen takes it.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>One coffee Glen.</p>
<p>Glen nods. Mike looks at Sam. A silence. Glen gives Sam his coffee. He drinks it. Notices Mike.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Evening.</p>
<p>Mike drops the gaze.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>(to Shelly)<br/>Evening ma’am.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Watch it.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Mike!</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>What?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>He just said evening is all.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Is that really all he did?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Oh Mike, he-</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>I’ve seen men like that before. Men that know exactly what they’re up to.<br/>(to Sam)<br/>So watch it pal.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>The lady’s right. Just wishing you a good evening is all.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You think i’m dumb? Son, you watch your mouth.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>(grabbing his arm)<br/>Mike, please.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>(shaking her off)<br/>No. Look at him. He thinks he’s funny. Thinks it’s okay to play with other men’s women.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Have a good evening, sir.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>And you, keep your sarcasms to yourself. Unlike you, I’m a real man and I look after my woman.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Glen.</p>
<p>Glen stops cleaning and looks at Sam.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>The coffee’s excellent. Another one for me, and one for our friend here, I think he needs it.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Needs it?!</p>
<p>Mike stands up, Shelly jumps and grabs him by the arm.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Mike, leave it.</p>
<p>He pushes her away, she falls down. He comes round to Sam’s side, facing him directly.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>I need you to get out of my face.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Sir, you approached me.</p>
<p>Mike grabs Sam’s lapels. Glen puts the coffees down. Mike looks at them. Lets go. Grabs one of the coffees and throws it at the wall, Glen flinches. Mike faces Sam.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>How dare you mock me like this! How dare you?</p>
<p>Shelly, begins to cry.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Shelly?</p>
<p>He goes to her.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Shelly, darling. Are you crying? Why, darling?</p>
<p>She gets up.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>I wanna go home.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Let’s… let’s go home Shelly.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>No.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>What? You just said-</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>I want to go home. I, me. Not with you.</p>
<p>Pause.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>What?</p>
<p>She wants to say so much, but can’t. She screams, and runs for the door at the back. Mike snatches her arm.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Shelly, don’t!</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Leave me alone!</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>I won’t, I can’t.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>I don’t want this.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You’re just confused, it’s been a long night, we’ll get you home and-</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>You won’t get me ANYWHERE!</p>
<p>He slaps her. Silence. Mike caresses Shelly.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Look what you made me do. Look. You know I don’t like to do this and yet you put me in these…unwindable situations. I can’t have you acting like this.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Please… let me leave…. This is not what I wanted…. I’m hungry, and tired.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You’ve already eaten tonight.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SHELLY</b></span><br/>Fuck you!</p>
<p>He slaps her again.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Stop that.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Oh?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>You say you protect your woman, but I don’t see any protecting here.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You’ve been divorced as long as you’ve owned this place Glen, what do you know about protecting?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>We hated each other but I never laid a finger on her.</p>
<p>Pause.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Glen?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Yeah?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>I’d tell you to stick to being a barman, but you’re not even very good at that.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Barman’s still more man than you.</p>
<p>Sam chuckles at that. Mike looks between the two of them. He pushes Shelly away. He begins to edge closer to Sam.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Why are you here? What do you want?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>I just came for the coffee.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>You came here for me. You came here to ruin me. I said it before, you look like you know exactly what you’re doing. But your plans don’t work for shit. You’re pathetic. You’ve lost. You’re just an ant to me, and I am ready to step on you and dig my heel in.</p>
<p>Shelly gets up and stumbles out the door. Mike turns.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>MIKE</b></span><br/>Shelly!</p>
<p>He runs out after her.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Now’s the chance.</p>
<p>Sam head to the exit, Glen reaches under the counter and pulls a revolver, throws it to Sam, he takes it and runs out. Glen makes his way to the window, watching. Pause.</p>
<p>Sound of gunfire, he flinches. Gunfire again. Pause. Hastily, Glen begins to tidy up.</p>
<p>A moment later, Sam comes back in, without the revolver.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Where is it?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Threw it in the river, like we agreed.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Good.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Pity, damn nice gun for sure.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Where is she?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>I told her to keep running and to wait at home until the cops come knocking.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>She’s practised the alibi?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Shakespearean actors don’t know their lines this good.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>You practised the alibi?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>I’m more amateur theatre.<br/>(Glen doesn’t laugh. Sam gets serious.)<br/>To a T.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>Go home and get some rest. They’ll come knocking soon enough.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>And we don’t know each other?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>I’m alone as we speak.</p>
<p>Sam nods.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>Thanks for the coffee.</p>
<p>He goes to leave, hesitates. Turns to face Glen.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>This is all a bit… meticulous. Why go through it all?</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>She asked me to. She was afraid. And I consider myself a friend.<br/>(pause)<br/>And that’s no way to treat a lady.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>SAM</b></span><br/>You’re the best contract killer money can’t buy, Glen.</p>
<p><span class="u"><b>GLEN</b></span><br/>I’m no killer, Sam. I’m just a barman.</p>
<p>Sam thinks on it, leaves. We hear him running away. Glen leans on the counter.</p>
<p>Lights go off.</p>
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